Colocasia plant named ‘Black Goblet’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Colocasia plant named ‘Black Goblet’ characterized by large lustrous dark greyed-purple leaf blades that are deeply cupped. The leaf blades are held nearly horizontally. The tropical stemless perennial produces multiple, long, spadix flowers with burgundy spathes.

Botanical classification: Colocasia hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Black Goblet’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with the U.S. Plant Patent Applicationsfor two other plants from the same breeding program with the sameparents, namely, Colocasia plant named ‘Black Swan’ co-pending U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/932,163 and Colocasia plant named‘Distant Memory’ co-pending U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.15/932,164.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid of Colocasia,hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name, ‘Black Goblet’. Colocasiais a tropical genus in the Araceae family.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding programperformed by the inventor at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland,Mich., USA. The overall purpose of the breeding program is to makeselections of Colocasia plants with colorful foliage, good growth ratethat are well suited for landscape or containers. ‘Black Goblet’ arosefrom a cross performed in May 17, 2012 between Colocasia ‘Black Coral’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,896 as the female and the male parent was‘Thailand Giant’ (not patented). ‘Black Goblet’ was given the breedercode 12-07-03 prior to naming.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by invitro propagation using shoot tip culture in 2014. To those skilled inthe art shoot tip tissue culture produces propagules of identicalcharacteristics to those of the original plant. Asexual propagation of‘Black Goblet’ by shoot tip tissue culture has shown that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and reproduce true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of Colocasia ‘Black Goblet’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, available water,fertility and light intensity without, however, any variation ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tocomprise the unique characteristics of the new plant and distinguish itas a new and distinct Colocasia different from all other Colocasia knownto the inventor:

-   -   1. Large, cupped, lustrous, dark greyed-purple leaves;    -   2. Large, upright, stemless, vigorous, tropical perennial habit;    -   3. Multiple, long, spadix per leaf axil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrates the unique traits and theoverall appearance of Colocasia ‘Black Goblet’. The colors are asaccurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions of this type.Variations in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause theappearance of minor variation in color. The plants used in thephotograph were two-year-old plants grown initially in a greenhouse thenset out in mid-spring in a shaded trial garden at a wholesale perennialnursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer whenneeded. No plant growth regulators or pinching have been used.

FIG. 1 shows the lower view of the leaf.

FIG. 2 shows the upper view of the leaf

FIG. 3 shows the flowers with ruler for size reference.

The nearest comparison varieties known to the inventor are theco-pending siblings ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Distant Memory’, ‘Black SapphireGecko’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,966 and ‘Coffee Cups’ (not patented).

In comparison to the new plant, the female parent, ‘Black Coral’, issmaller in habit and individual leaf blades and the leaf blades are moredrooping with less cupping. The male parent, ‘Thailand Giant’ is largerin habit with larger leaves, and the leaf blades and petioles are mediumgreen colored and the adaxial leaf surface is dull rather than thegreyed-purple leaf blade and petiole and lustrous adaxial leaf surfaceof the new plant.

‘Black Goblet’ has larger leaf blades than ‘Black Sapphire Gecko’ andleaves of the new plant are held more outright, more cupped and lesscernuous than ‘Black Sapphire Gecko’. Compared with ‘Distant Memory’ thenew plant has more lustrous upper leaf surfaces and is larger in habitwith fewer side shoots and the leaf blades are more cupped. Comparedwith ‘Black Swan’ the new plant has less flat and more cupped leafblades, and the leaves are smaller and lighter greyed-purple. ‘CoffeeCups’ is slightly larger in plant habit, with smaller leaf blades ofolive-green that are held more upright, but the leaf blades aresimilarly cupped.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of two-year-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown initially in a greenhouse and then outdoors, in ashaded trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. No plant growth regulators havebeen used. Plants of the new cultivar have not been tested under allpossible conditions. The phenotype may vary with changes inenvironmental, climatic, and cultural conditions without change howeverin the genotype. The color reference is in accordance with the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wheregeneral color dictionary terms are used.

-   Botanical designation: Colocasia hybrid;-   Cultivar denomination: ‘Black Goblet’;-   Parentage: The female or seed parent is ‘Black Coral’ and the male    or pollen parent is ‘Thailand Giant’;-   Asexual propagation: Shoot tip tissue culture;-   Time to initiate roots: About two weeks;-   Time to finish in a 7 liter container: About three months from a 2.5    cm plug;-   Growth rate: Vigorous;-   Plant habit: Tropical herbaceous perennial; upright; acaulescent;    upright; clumping;-   Plant size: About 102.0 cm tall and about 160 cm wide at edges of    leaves;-   Root description: Thick, limited branching; to about 25.0 cm long;-   Root color: Between RHS 182A and RHS 183D;-   Foliage: Sagittate to cordate; simple; calathiform; slightly and    irregularly sinuate; slightly dimpled; base auriculate, frequently    imbricate to partially fused; apex broadly acute; margin entire;    both adaxial and abaxial surfaces lustrous and glabrous;-   Leaf size: About 40.0 cm long from apex to tip of auricule, about    30.0 cm long from petiole to apex, auricula about 10.0 cm long from    petiole to auricule tip, about 30.0 cm across toward middle of leaf,    about 15.0 cm deep sinus from petiole to line across leaf margins;-   Leaf color: Young adaxial nearest RHS 146B, young abaxial nearest    RHS N186C; mature adaxial nearest RHS N186A, mature abaxial nearest    RHS 187A;-   Veins: Pinnate; glabrous abaxial and adaxial; main veins broad,    nearly smooth adaxial and costate and rounded abaxial;-   Vein size: Abaxial midrib about 9.0 mm across at petiole with two    main lateral veins in auricula about 8.0 mm across and other    secondary veins about 3.5 mm across; adaxial midrib about 6.0 mm    across with two lateral veins in auricula about 5.0 mm across with    secondary veins about 2.5 mm across;-   Vein color: Young adaxial between RHS N186C and RHS N186D, young    abaxial nearest RHS 187C; mature adaxial between RHS N187A and RHS    N186A, mature abaxial veins between N186C and RHS 187B;-   Leaf blade attitude: Nearly horizontal;-   Petioles: Sarcous; strongly concavo-convex to involute; attitude    upright to semi-outwardly;-   Petiole size: Average about 80.0 cm long, 20.0 mm across and 22.0 mm    deep at base and 6.0 mm across below leaf blade;-   Petiole color: Abaxial nearest N186A, adaxial nearest RHS 189A;-   Inflorescence description: Spadix surrounded by a spathe, female    portion proximal to male portion on same peduncle; beginning to    bloom about mid-August in Michigan once plants mature; typically two    per node;-   Inflorescence size: Average about 22.0 cm in length and 2.6 cm in    width;-   Inflorescence bud: Linear to slightly clavate with swollen rounded    base; apex narrowly acute; about 14.0 cm long and 2.2 cm diameter;-   Inflorescence bud color: Variable depending on portion; nearest RHS    N186D in distal portion and nearest RHS N186B in swollen base;-   Flower fragrance: None detected;-   Lastingness of inflorescence: About 2 to 3 weeks;-   Flower quantity: Average about 200 female flowers sessile to spadix;    average about 500 sessile male flowers per spadix;-   Spathe: Hooded involute bract; subtending spadix and completely    enveloping spadix; coriaceous; lanceolate with acute apex and    truncate base; margin entire;-   Spathe size: Average about 22.0 cm total length, 6.5 cm long at    gynoecium, 15.5 cm long at distal to androecium, 2.8 cm diameter at    gynoecium and 2.0 cm diameter at androecium, 1.2 cm diameter at    constriction between androecium and gynoecium; manually spread open    to about 9.5 cm wide;-   Spathe color: Abaxial nearest RHS N186D in distal portion and    nearest RHS N186B in swollen base; adaxial portion nearest RHS 186D;-   Spadix: Male portion with narrowly acute apex, average about 9.0 cm    long and 1.3 cm diameter; female portion proximal male portion,    female portion ellipsoidal, about 2.5 cm long and 2.5 cm diameter in    widest portion;-   Spadix color: Nearest RHS 161D;-   Peduncle: Terete, slightly flattened on one side; glaucous;    glabrous; mostly upright; about 58 cm long and 12.0 mm diameter at    base; emerging from leaf axils;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS N187B;-   Reproductive organs: Have not been observed to develop;-   Fruit and seed: Have not been observed;-   Diseases and resistance: Resistance to pests and diseases beyond    that common for other Colocasia cultivars has not been observed. The    plant is tropical and grows best with ample moisture, good drainage    and warm temperatures. The complete hardiness of the new plant has    not been tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Colocasia plant named‘Black Goblet’ as herein illustrated and described.